Kumarakom to Take New Avatar with ‘Pettikadas’

By Vishnudas
 In a move to promote responsible tourism, modern replicas of the rural pettikadas will be operated by the Kumarakom unit of Kudumbasree in various places.
In its new form, the kiosks will sell the products made by Kudumbasree units in Kumarakom. These include rural delicacies, handicraft items and other products of the women’s movement.Ten such kiosks will be made operational soon. Two of them are already functioning at Kavanatin-kara. They sell vegetables, fruits and tender coconuts. These kiosks have registered brisk sales. The move to open more kiosks is intended to give tourists a feel of rural life, apart from serving as a platform for the people of Kumarakom to market their products.Kumarakom is one of the top responsible tourism spots in the state. The operational cost of a kiosk comes to about Rs 1 lakh. “The tourism department has endorsed our idea. Now we hope the project will be realised within a short time.This will give the much-needed impetus to the responsible tourism initiatives of Kumarakom. This will also help our women to be self-reliant and showcase their skills to the world outside,” said Dhanya Sabu, president of the Kumarakom grama panchayat.It was last year that an international conference on responsible tourism had invited the panchayat to present its tourism initiatives in Kumarakom.The conference held in London, hailed the steps taken by the civic body in carrying forward the concept of responsible tourism in Kumarakom without affecting the environment and livelihood of the people.Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/